Creative Club - Birds
Children from three of our Young Artists after school clubs across Fenland have enjoyed working on a creative art project in conjunction with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Inspired by local birds and their habitats they have created some fantastic pieces of art using mostly recycled materials.
The children, who are from Friday Bridge School, Westwood School and Wisbech St Mary School have been working with artists Karen Harvey and Karen Fevyer at the sessions.
Callum, a Young Artist from Wisbech St Mary, chose the theme and the project encouraged the children to look at and enjoy the natural world around them and produce art that reflected the diversity of local bird life and much more.
Amberlee Foote, the Youth and Education liaison from the RSPB said “It really is great to hear when young people are learning about the world around them”. The RSPB also provided informative posters and booklets for the children, containing advice on identifying the birds that thrive in our local landscape, where to find them and how to care for the environment.
The Young Artists created many wonderful artworks from nests, bird houses and bird feeders to paintings, collages and jewellery. They sculpted clay birds, produced some thoughtful sketches and one of the Young Artists Laura even made bird inspired food in the form of nest cakes complete with eggs and worms which she shared with the whole class, they were yummy!
The work created was diverse and very imaginative!
Some comments from the young people…
‘It felt really good that it was my idea that was chosen. There is so much to learn about birds, like their habitats and what they feed on. Liam built a bird box, and we learnt from that.’ - Callum
‘We all enjoyed it. I worked with Callum and built a bird’s nest from chicken wire and hay. We all did different ideas.’ - Alphie
‘We can come here and escape the world of seriousness and let our imaginations go wild! I’d definitely come again.’ - Maddeline
‘I have learnt that I can make birds out of different materials and to work with other people. I have learnt to sew, I have learnt more about art and that I can be an artist- I am a little bit of one!’ - Jessica
‘I made bird inspired food, a chocolate nest, and I loved it when everyone appreciated it. I loved the bird idea and that we aren’t the only school doing it so we’ll see all the different schools work come together and it’ll be very exciting.’ - Laura
‘Some birds can’t go home because their trees are cut down, they can’t have babies because they have no nest to lay them in.’ -Morgan
‘I like birds very much because they are very cute and beautiful. I enjoy my lessons because they are very helpful and they are very fun and they help me because my old art club was very boring and this one is very fun.’ -Renee
‘Great- and that’s all I’m going to say.’ - Astrid
‘I think it was great and I loved doing the projects and I want to do more. Thank you!’ - Emily
‘My work is called Birds Nest Pie. I want people to guess the answer. Is it a birds nest or is it a pie? It’s a birds nest.’ - Imogen
‘It’s a nest. It came out like this. Me and Cameron broke bits of seed pods and dried plants and crinkley stuff. I decided to make a nest because birds make nests and sometimes birds will live in nests that are already made.’ - Joshua
‘People will think its messy and it is messy!’ - Cameron
… and from their teacher…
‘The children thoroughly enjoyed working with Atelier East and loved having the freedom to express their ideas. The materials provided were excellent and they gave children the opportunity to use things that they normally wouldn’t. It was a fantastic experience and the children couldn’t wait to get to art club each week.’ -Mrs Jones, Westwood School
An example of the lovely press coverage we received…
http//www.cambstimes.co.uk/content/cambstimes/multimedia/slideshow/story.aspx?brand=CATOnline&category=NewsCambs&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=slideshowCAT&itemid=WEED31%20Mar%202009%2012%3A47%3A43%3A270
